Border trade merchants say China might reopen all border trade gates early this year as it has eased and lifted some COVID-19 restrictions.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, China has closed some border trade gates entirely and some gates remained opened with tight restrictions to contain the pandemic.

Because of these COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns almost all border trade has been stopped at these gates and only a few essential goods were traded during this time.

A border trade merchant said that China eased quarantine restriction for travelers coming from foreign countries starting from 8 January so that he expected all of the border trade gates might be reopened early this year.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in China, Sino-Myanmar border trade has dropped by nearly 65% and in some periods the trade was entirely stopped as China closed all border trade gates.

A border trade merchant said that he welcomed the reopening of all border trade gates as it would enable more imports from China and unemployed people would get jobs from the border trade.

In Muse on the Sino-Myanmar border, currently only Kyinsakyawt border trade gate is open and four other gates remain closed. The merchants said that border trade was being conducted at this gate with about 130 trucks daily.

Myanmar mainly exports rice, broken rice, corn, mung-peas, sesame, oil-bearing seeds, pulses and beans, watermelon, husk melon, rubber, aquatic products and kitchen goods to China through these border trade gates.

China mainly exports construction materials, electrical appliances, industrial goods, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, general merchandise, foodstuffs and other general goods to Myanmar through border trade to Myanmar.